2020-2021 Catalog

On Special Appointment

Joe Addington

Non-Tenure Track Instructor, Music

Director of the Afro-Cuban Drumming Ensemble 

Maria Adreani

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Biology

B.S., University of California, Santa Barbara; M.A., Northeastern University; M.S., California State University, Northridge; Ph.D., Florida State University 

Jamie Angell

Non-Tenure Track Associate Professor of the Practice, Theater

B.A., Dartmouth College; M.F.A., California Institute of the Arts

Alec Arellano

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Politics

B.A., Colorado College; M.A., Ph.D., University of Texas, Austin

Jeremiah Axelrod

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, History

Director of the Institute for the Study of Los Angeles

B.A., Williams College; Ph.D., University of California, Irvine 

Kirk Bentzen

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Kinesiology

A.B., Occidental College; M.P.T., University of Southern California; M.B.A., La Sierra University; D.P.T., University of Southern California

Katherine E. Bercovitz

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Psychology

B.S., Santa Clara Univiersity; M.A., Ph.D. Harvard University

Mariano Bertucci

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Politics

B.A., Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires; M.A. University of Denver; Ph.D. University of Southern California

Ann Blythe

Non-Tenure Track Associate Professor, Geology

B.S., Ph.D., Cornell University; M.S., University of Pennsylvania

Jongnic Bontemps

Non-Tenure Track Instructor, Music Production

B.A., Yale University

Janis Breidenbach

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Urban and Environmental Policy

B.A., M.A., University of California, Los Angeles; Ph.D., Prescott College

Lauren Brown

Non-Tenure Track Associate Professor, Spanish and French Studies

B.A., Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles

Stephen Cabell

Non-Tenure Track Instructor, Music

B.M., The Curtis Institute; M.M., The Juilliard School

Lucas Carden

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Psychology

B.A., University of Kentucky; M.S., Ph.D., University of Southern California

Maria Castro

Non-Tenure Track Associate Professor, Spanish and French Studies

B.A., Filosofía y Letras, Universidad Complutense de Madrid; M.A., George Washington University; M.A.,Ph.D., University of Washington

Cesar Castro

Non-Tenure Track Instructor; Director of the Son Jarocho Ensemble

Sharon Cech

Non-Tenure Track Instructor, Urban and Environmental Policy

B.A., Bard College; M.A., University of California, Los Angeles

Clinton Dale Chapman

Non-Tenure Track Associate Professor, Psychology

B.S., M.S., Montana State University; Ph.D., University of Oklahoma 

Hsing-Hau Chen

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Computer Science

BA., B.S., M.S., National Taiwan University; M.S., Ph.D., University of Southern California

Brian Clearwater

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Core Program

B.A., University of Tennessee; M.A., PhD., University of California, Santa Barbara 

Ara Corbett

Non-Tenure Track Instructor, Writing and Rhetoric

B.A., Loyola Marymount University; M.F.A., Boston University; M.A., California State Univeristy, Los Angeles

Shawn Costantino

Non-Tenure Track Instructor, Music

Director of the Occidental Jazz Ensemble

B.Mus., University of Miami; M.M., De Paul University

David Crabb

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Theater

B.F.A., Texas State University; M.F.A.,Cranbrook Academy of Art 

Perry Daniel

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Theater

William Davis

Non-Tenure Track Instructor, Art and Art History

B.A., University of the West of England, Bristol School of Art and Design; M.A., Lund University

Kenturah Davis

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Art and Art History

A.B., Occidental College; M.F.A., Yale University

Corey Davis

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Urban and Environmental Policy

B.S., Indiana University of Pennsylvania; J.D., Temple University; M.P.H., University of North Carolina 

Matthew Dempsey

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Politics

Jessica Dirkes

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Public Health

Public Health Program Coordinator

B.S., University of Missouri; M.P.H, Tulane University; Ph.D., University of Illinois at Chicago

Daron Djerdjian

Non-Tenure Track Associate Professor, Economics

B.A., University of California, Los Angeles; Ph.D., Syracuse University

Paula Donnelly

Non Tenure-Track Assistant Professor, Theater

Douglas Duquette

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Chemistry

B.A., M.A., Harvard University; Ph.D., California Institute of Technology

Zohaa A. El Gamal

Non-Tenure Track Instructor, Spanish and French Studies

Pilar Margarita Escontrias

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Critical Theory and Social Justice

Tracy Ewing

Non-Tenure Track Instructor, Psychology

Motoko Ezaki

Non-Tenure Track Professor, Comparative Studies in Literature and Culture; Advisory Committee, Group Language

B.A., M.A., Seinan Gakuin University; M.A., Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles 

Brian Fitzmorris

Non-Tenure Track Professor of the Practice, Theater

B.F.A., Carnegie-Mellon University

Jacques Fomerand

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Diplomacy and World Affairs

Assistant Director, Occidental-and-the-U.N. program

B.A., Lycée Janson de Sailly; M.A., Diplôme de I’Institut d’Études Politiques; Ph.D., City University of New York

Heng Lam Foong

Non-Tenure Track Instructor, Urban and Environmental Policy

B.A., College of New Rochelle; M.S., Capella University 

Max Foreman

Andres G. Mellon Professor of the Practice in Music

B.A., University of California, Santa Cruz; M.F.A., California Institute of the Arts

Andrew V. Frane

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Psychology

B.A., M.A., California State University, Los Angeles; Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles

Devin Fromm

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Core Program

B.A., University of Montana; M.A., University of Pittsburgh; Ph.D., University of California, Santa Barbara 

Jean-Luc Gauvreau

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Physics

B.S., Universite Laval, Ste-Foy, Quebec, Canada; Ph.D., University of Maryland College Park 

Jill Gold

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Theater

A.B., Occidental College

Ramona Gonzalez

Johnston-Fix Professor of the Practice of Songwriting

A.B., Occidental College

Alicia Gonzalez

Non-Tenure Track Senior Instructor, Spanish and French Studies

A.B., Stanford University; M.A., University of California, Los Angeles

Nathan Graeser

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Core Program

B.A., Indiana University, Bloomington; M.S., Ph.D., University of Southern California

Mike Gray

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Chemistry

B.A., University of California, Santa Cruz; M.S., Ph.D., University of California, Santa Barbara 

Jen Hofer

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Art and Art History

B.A., Brown University; M.F.A., University of Iowa

Melinda Houston

Non-Tenure Track Associate Professor, Kinesiology

B.A., University of California, Los Angeles; M.S., California State University, Fullerton; Ph.D., University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Peter Howard

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Theater

Brendan Hughes

Andrew G. Mellon Professor of the Practice in Theater

B.A., University of Massachusetts; M.F.A.,Yale University 

LeKeisha Hughes

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Critical Theory and Social Justice

Edmond Johnson

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Music

Director of Advising

B.A., Lawrence University; M.A., Ph.D., University of California, Santa Barbara

Chris Kim

Director of Instrumental Activities

B.M., Northwestern University; M.M., University of Michigan at Ann Arbor 

Desiree La Vertu 

Director of Choral and Vocal Activities

B.Mus., California State University, Fullerton; M.M., University of Nevada, Reno

Nishu Lal

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Mathematics

B.S., M.S., University of California, Irvine; Ph.D., University of California, Riverside

Peter Lanfer

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Religious Studies

B.A., Dartmouth College; M.A.R., Yale University Divinity School; Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles 

Don Lawrence

Non-Tenure Track Professor, Mathematics

B.A., Pomona College; M.A., Ph.D., University of California, Santa Barbara

Swee Fong Lee

Non-Tenure Track Instructor, Comparative Studies in Literature and Culture

B.A., Tokyo Gakugei University; M.A., Hitotsubashi University; M.A., California State University, Long Beach

Marisol León

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Critical Theory and Social Justice

B.A., Yale University; M.A., Loyola Marymount University; J.D., University of California, Berkeley

Kenji Liu

Non-Tenure Track Instructor, Art and Art History

B.A., John F. Kennedy University; M.A., California Institute of Integral Studies

Susanna Maing

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Art and Art History

B.A., University of California, Berkeley; M.F.A., University of California, Los Angeles

James Maley

Collections Manager Moore Laboratory of Zoology

B.S., M.S., University of Alaska Fairbanks; Ph.D., Louisiana State University

Krissia Martinez

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Education

B.A., University of California, Santa Cruz; Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles

Francisco Martinez

Non-Tenure Track Instructor, Theater

Curtis Maughan

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Comparative Studies in Literature and Culture

Laural Meade

Non-Tenure Track Professor, Theater

A.B., Occidental College; M.F.A., University of California, Los Angeles

Jane E. Mendel

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Biology

B.S., B.A., University of Mississippi; Ph.D., University of Tennessee

Andrew Miller

Non-Tenure Track Instructor, Comparative Studies in Literature and Culture

B.A., Princeton University; M.A., University of California, Los Angeles

Jeffrey Miller

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Mathematics

B.S., University of California, Davis; M.A., Ph.D., University of California, Santa Barbara

Sydney K. Mitsunaga-Whitten

Non-Tenure Track Instructor, Comparative Studies in Literature and Culture, Religious Studies

A.B., Occidental College; M.A., Yale University

Malek Moazzam-Doulat

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Critical Theory and Social Justice

A.B., Occidental College; Ph.D., State University of New York, Stony Brook

Karen Molinder

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Biology

A.B., Occidental College; Ph.D, University of California, Los Angeles 

Natalie Muren

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Chemistry

B.A., Willamette University; Ph.D., California Institute of Technology 

Daryl Ono

Non-Tenure Track Instructor of Accounting, Economics

B.A., University of California, Los Angeles; Ph.D., Pacific Western University

Dina Ormenyi

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Music; Piano Instructor

B.A., University of California, Santa Barbara; M.F.A., University of California, Los Angeles

Gloria Orozco

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Spanish and French Studies

B.A., M.A., Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles

Sarah Ostendorf

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Writing and Rhetoric

B.A., Northwestern University; M.F.A., Mills College; Ph.D., New York University

Fabio Paolizzo

Andrew G. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow, Audio/Music/Sound Engineering

B.A., M.A., Tor Vergata University of Rome; Ph.D., University of Kent

Jocelyn Webb Pedersen

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Art and Art History

B.A., California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; M.A., University of Iowa, Center for the Book; M.F.A., University of California, Santa Barbara

John Phillips

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Chemistry

B.S., University of California, Berkeley; Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, Madison

G. Simeon Pillich

Non-Tenure Track Professor, Music

B.A., M.A., Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles

Erica Preston-Roedder

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Philosophy

B.A., Stanford University; M.S., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Ph.D., New York University 

Ben Ratskoff

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Instructor, Religious Studies

B.A., Northwestern University; M.S., University of California, Los Angeles

Kathryn Renton

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Religious Studies

B.A., Harvard University; M.A., Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles 

Karina Rincon

Non-Tenure Track Instructor, Spanish and French Studies

A.B., Occidental College; M.A., University of California, Los Angeles

Ashley Robart

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Biology

B.A., Reed College; Ph.D., University of California, Santa Cruz 

Dylan Sabo

Non-Tenure Track Associate Professor, Philosophy, Cognitive Science

Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Michael Sardo

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Politics

B.A., College of William & Mary; M.A., Ph.D., Northwestern University

Gary Schindelman

Non-Tenure Track Associate Professor, Biology; Advisory Committee, Biochemistry

B.S., State University of New York at Binghamton; Ph.D., New York University

Jane Schmitz

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Urban and Environmental Policy

B.A., Tufts University; Ph.D., Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Stephanie Schrader

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Art and Art History

A.B., Occidental College; M.A., Oberlin College; Ph.D., University of California, Santa Barbara

Deena Selenow

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Theater

B.F.A., New York University; M.F.A, California Institution of the Arts

Robert Sipchen

Non-Tenure Track Associate Professor, Writing and Rhetoric

B.A., University of California, Santa Barbara

Kai Small

Non-Tenure Track Instructor, Critical Theory and Social Justice

A.B., Occidental College; M.A., University of California, San Diego

Arvin Sookezian

Non-Tenure Track Instructor, Chemistry

Julia Sushytska

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Comparative Studies in Literature and Culture

B.A., John Carroll University; M.A., Ph.D., Stony Brook University

Yuki Taylor

Non-Tenure Track Associate Professor, Comparative Studies in Literature and Culture

B.A., M.A., Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles

Camilla Taylor

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Art and Art History

B.F.A., University of Utah; M.F.A., California State University, Long Beach

Adrienne Tien

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, American Studies

B.A., Wellesley College; M.S., Syracuse University 

Anthony Tróchez

Non-Tenure Track Professor, Education

B.S., University of California, Berkeley; M.A., University of California, Los Angeles

Victoria Umanskaya

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Economics

B.A. (DHE), Saratov State University; Ph.D., University of Wyoming

Igor Umanskiy

Laboratory Coordinator

M.S., Saratov State University, Russia; Ph.D., Saratov State University, Russia

Kevin Urstadt

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Cognitive Science

B.A., Rutgers; M.A., Ph.D., University of California, Riverside

Nicole Vick

Non-Tenure Track Instructor, Urban and Environmental Policy

B.S., M.P.H., University of Southern California 

Zoe Walsh

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Art and Art History

A.B., Occidental College; M.F.A., Yale University 

Weidong Wang

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Chemistry

Instrumentation Facilities Manager

B.S., Jilin University; Ph.D., Rochester University 

Kenjus Watson

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Education

A.B., Occidental College; M.E., Pennsylvania State University; Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles

Ezra Weisz

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Theater

B.A., Sarah Lawrence College; M.F.A., California Institute of the Arts

David Weldzius

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Art and Art History

B.F.A., University of Illinois, Chicago; M.F.A., California Institute of the Arts

Garrett Williams

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Media Arts and Culture

B.A., Augsburg College; M.F.A., The American Film Institute

Jonathan P. Williams

Non-Tenure Track Instructor, Biology

B.S., University of North Carolina at Wilmington; M.S., California State University, Northridge

Doug Wilson

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Psychology

B.A., University of Georgia; M.A., University of Santa Monica; Ph.D., Pacficia Graduate Institute

Melissa Withers

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Urban and Environmental Policy

Ümit Yalçinalp

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Computer Science

B.A., Middle East Technical University; M.S., Ph.D.,Case Western Reserve University

Thomas Yeh

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Computer Science

B.S., University of California, Berkeley; M.S., Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles

Keiko Yokoyama

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Chemistry

B.E., M.E., Ph.D., Tokyo University

Patricia Yossen

Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Art and Art History

B.A., Escuela Provincial de Artes Visuales Juan Mantovani; M.F.A., Pratt Institute

Anne Yu

Non-Tenure Track Instructor, Chemistry

B.A., Pomona College; M.S., University of California, Los Angeles

Laurel Zahn

Non-Tenure Track Instructor, Biology

B.S., University of California, Santa Cruz; M.S., California State University, Long Beach 

Désirée Zamorano

Non-Tenure Track Professor, Education

Director of the Community Literacy Center

B.A., University of California, Irvine; M.A., California State University, Dominguez Hills

Steve Zimmer

Non-Tenure Track Instructor, Urban and Environmental Policy

B.A., Goucher College; M.S., California State University, Los Angeles